French Riviera Preview
The Player’s View has begun a review of the courses of The French Riviera. There are approaching 30 courses in this area. Our preview looks at 5 courses near Cannes.
We will be visiting courses on the French Riviera over the next few months.
Here is an introduction to four courses near Cannes, plus our review of Royal Mougins first published in 2009. (Note, we do not include course design ratings in this preview.)
Mandelieu Club de Golf – Old Course
Where better to start than The Old Course at Mandelieu? Sporting a Harry Colt design, this is the oldest club in the area. An entertaining, if almost completely unique, feature of the course is the fact that players have to use a chain ferry to cross from one part of the course to the other. The layout features classic British design, set among tall Mediterranean pines (11th tee illustrated above), with some penal and some strategic bunkering. Our three other sample images (below) illustrate the atmosphere you can expect. And there’s a 9 hole course (designed by the founder, Grand Duke Michael of Russia, dating from 1891) as well, if you want a shorter game. Lavish clubhouse.
5500m Par 71 Designer: Colt (Year TBC)
Mandelieu Club de Golf – Old Course, Route du Golf, Mandelieu-la-Napoule, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, 06210 Alpes-Maritimes, France
Tel: +33 4 92 97 32 00 www.golfoldcourse.com ΩΩΩΩ €€
Hole 4 340m Par 4
Hole 5 269m Par 4
Hole 16 130m Par 3
We’ll take the other courses in alphabetical order…
Cannes-Mougins
Founded in 1923, as The Cannes Country Club, by a distinguished group including The Aga Khan, Prince Pierre of Monaco and Baron Edouard de Rothschild, this is one of the classiest private clubs in the area. Now known as Cannes-Mougins, the club completely rebuilt its course in 1978, to the design of Peter Allis and Dave Thomas. Between 1980 and 1994, Cannes-Mougins hosted The Cannes Open, an important event on The European Tour’s schedule. The course is set over undulating tree-lined ground, featuring several raised greens, moderate bunkering and several water hazards. It makes a pleasant arena for players of all standards.
6906 yds Par 72 Designers: Alliss & Thomas (1978)
The Golf Country Club de Cannes-Mougins, 175 Avenue de Golf, Mougins, 16250 Alpes-Maritimes, France
Tel: +33 4 93 75 79 13 www.golf-cote-azur.com/en_GB/presentation-golf-cannes-mougins.php ΩΩΩΩ €€€
Hole 14 par 5
Hole 15 Par 3
La Grande Bastide
A modern, parkland course with gentle fairway moundings, and an easy walk, this course features the contemporary generally edge-of-fairway, lavish bunker design of its designer, Cabell Robinson. There’s generally plenty of room, but accuracy will be required with approaches to the large-ish greens, some which are raised, to score well. Water plays an increasingly testing part as the round closes. Suitable for players of all standards and the club welcomes locals and visitors alike, all year round.
Hole 7 Par 4
Hole 18 Par 4
5929m Par 72 Designer: Robinson (1990)
Golf de la Grande Bastide, Chemin des Picholines, Châteauneuf de Grasse, 06740 Alpes-Maritime, France
Tel : +33 4 93 77 70 08 grandebastide@opengolfclub.com www.opengolfclub.com/grandebastide ΩΩΩ €
Royal Mougins
Please click on the link for our 2009 review – Royal Mougins Review
Hole 10 125m Par 3
St Donat
Set over rolling ground with several opportunities for your ball to don a lifejacket, this course has all you would expect from a designer of such distinction. Downhill, uphill and relatively flat challenges embue this parkland layout with some testing raised greens, and a scattering of challenging bunkers, yet room for players who know what they are doing to plot a successful round. There’s also a 9 hole pitch and putt. Comfortable clubhouse.
6031m Par 71 Designer: Trent Jones Jnr (Year TBC)
Golf de Saint Donat, 270 Route de Cannes, Grasse, 06130 Alpes-Maritime, France
Tel: +33 4 93 09 76 60 www.golfsaintdonat.com ΩΩΩΩ €€
Hole 14 320m Par 4
Hole 17 388m Par 4
